Malta Hub

Rod Townsend on "meanness" and the internet: "The facility the Internet provides to allow impulsive, negative, lazy thought to come out is unmatched. We have "cyber-bullying" in our schools and advertiser dollars and book deals going to blistering, boisterous bloggers. Just like a lot of things in life, the first step is to take a moment and think before acting."

Should gay business owners out themselves to job candidates? "Work is not a place where you're talking about your sex life. However, because we are eight gay people and sometimes we talk about things that happen to be gay related, I just felt compelled to tell him."

Thomas Roberts gives interview to GQon being a survivor of the Catholic Church: "I don't really know why the problem exists. People who take on a role as a leader within the Church though would be much more human and approachable if they were allowed to have a loved one, a partner, someone to share their life with, so that they can actually relate to people on a human level. We’ve put many priests on pedestals. They’re supposed to be infallible, and it’s simply not true. They’re just human beings."

Malta city council wants phallic monument removed before Pope's visit: "in the opinion of the council, the Pope's first visit among us risks being a source of embarrassment to the people of Luqa and the Maltese in general, due to the obscene 'monument' which is still dominating the 'LIDL' roundabout on one's entry into the village."

Fred Karger tells Southern GOP that he might run for President: "Karger said he held the press conference Saturday at 11 am and threw a party Saturday night in a suite in the conference headquarters hotel – the Hilton Riverside – 'which was a mix of Republican attendees to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference and some friends of friends - the LGBTers.'"

Scholastic bans gay-themed book from book fairs: "Luv Ya Bunches, about four elementary school girls who have little in common, but bond over the fact that they’re all named after flowers, is the first installment of a four-book series. But Scholastic says the book, released on October 1, failed to meet its vetting process because it contains offensive language and same-sex parents of one of the main characters, Milla."

Silhouette and initials of Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz shot at by Southeast Republican Club at gun range event: "Among the approximately 40 people at the event was Robert Lowry, a Republican seeking his party’s nomination to run against Wasserman Schultz next year.
Lowry shot at a target bearing the letters 'DWS' next to the silhouette head.
Lowry said he didn't know who wrote Wasserman Schultz' initials on his target, but said he knew they were there before he started shooting. He initially described it as a 'joke,' but after answering several questions he said it 'was a mistake' to use a target labeled 'DWS.'"

President of Malta condemns anti-gay discrimination: "He said he had LGBT people specifically in mind when referring to minorities and various families during his inaugural speech.
President Abela stressed the important of anti-discrimination legislation in employment and agreed that Malta EU membership is a positive factor contributing towards greater debate on diversity and acceptance."

Ang Lee has fond memories of the Brokeback kiss: "I was directing Heath kissing [Jake Gyllenhaal] and I told him that
you would never kiss a woman that hard. He needed to do it in a heroic
Western way, more passionately. I remember seeing Michelle watching
while we filmed - at that point
they were already 'friends' - and she had a look of concentration on
her face because she also thought he should be stronger with Jake."

More than 1,000 couples have registered as domestic partners in Nevada: "he law took effect Oct. 1, and more than 700 couples pre-registered and picked up their certificates that day.
Nevada's constitution bans gay marriage, but the partnership law extends certain rights previously enjoyed by only married couples to couples who live together.
That includes community property and the right to seek financial support after a breakup."

A 42-year-old man who divides his time between Malta and the UK and was restoring a property with his partner received a shock when he discovered that an intruder had "scaled down from a neighbouring roof" and left a message for him in graffiti on the walls:

"No gays."

Said the man, who declined to give his real name to the Times of Malta: "I am afraid for my safety. Cleaning the walls myself has been cathartic. I would like to think it was either a 13-year-old or someone with that
mental capacity who did this. I hope it was not somebody seething with
hatred (towards gays) because that is not part of my language...Once a thief broke into my house when I was living in Italy and you
feel your privacy has been invaded, but this was more personal...I was trembling [when I spoke with police] and the officer's attitude was reprehensible. He never
asked me if I suspected anyone or any other details. For the police it
was a simple prank not a personal threat."

A recent article in the Malta Star reported that although estimates put the number of LGB people in the Southern European island nation at 15-30,000, many are afraid to come out and only 150 people, some of them straight, attended a recent gay pride parade there.